Author
Topic: 1st Grana - Romano (Read 2267 times)

So after 4 wheels under my belt, my noobity figured it's time I actually make a tasty cheese to go with the bresaola, capicola and pancettas I make. And of course, my all time great weakness, fresh handmade pasta.

So I said to the cheese minions, "Bring on the Romano!"

And they exclaimed, "Woohoo! Ro-Man-O! Ro-Man-O! Ro-Man-O!" (They're prone to chanting and the rule of threes)

Make sounds good. Next time, though, don't do that pierce with the fork thing. I don't know what that is supposed to do (though it is on the wiki here - or used to be) and all I can think of is that it corrupts your nice knit! Go to the notes and put "omit" beside that for next time.

Anyway, a post of the final cheese when the batteries are charged will be nice. This should be a good one I think. Should be ready around Christmas time. Nice.

- Jeff

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The wise do not always start out on the right path, but they do know when to change course.

Make sounds good. Next time, though, don't do that pierce with the fork thing. I don't know what that is supposed to do (though it is on the wiki here - or used to be) and all I can think of is that it corrupts your nice knit! Go to the notes and put "omit" beside that for next time.

Anyway, a post of the final cheese when the batteries are charged will be nice. This should be a good one I think. Should be ready around Christmas time. Nice.

- Jeff

Lol. You know, that's the fourth time you've given me a sage piece of advice after the fact....I'm beginning to suspect a plot is afoot.

This morning's flip presented me with a mostly dry wheel. It's not bone dry, but the wheel hasn't expelled much, if any, whey. There's some moisture on the underlying plate, but I suspect that's mostly the surface moisture from the brine bath.

The weight of the final cheese also indicates it probably hadn't retained much whey. The small size of the curd, from bashing it with the whisk, pretty much ensures good whey removal. However, give it three days prior to caving to firm the rind up really well. Keep an eye on it though, and check for cracking ; just in case. If you can, give it a freshly sterilized ripening box. Keep it isolated from mouldy and b.linen rinds. It should, after a few months and an oiling or two, be pretty self reliant.

- Jeff

Logged

The wise do not always start out on the right path, but they do know when to change course.

Look like it swelled up everywhere you stuck it with that fork. LOL Gotta love bumps!

Okay, leaving aside the fact that the line you wrote could be applied to a fair number of other activities that are (or more accurately, used to be in my life), the bumps are from the mould.

In truth, Geo turned me onto doing a final, short pressing without any cloth to smooth out linen lines - makes for a clean looking cheese with little bumps. So far, they seem to dry and fall off with a day or two leaving a pretty wheel.